Reviews

Building a Little Love

With Building a Little Love, Jan Dawson once again proves why she’s such a gifted storyteller. Her ability to weave the natural beauty, culture and spirit of the Outer Banks into an engaging story creates an immersive reading experience, while her authentic, relatable characters quickly win readers over. Warm, charming and full of heart, this is the quintessential beach read!

Danielle PuleoCoastland Times

Jan Dawson’s Building a Little Love blends romance with the real-life tensions of island living. Known for her popular trilogy set along Hatteras Island, Dawson’s latest book introduces an entirely new cast of characters while returning to the themes that have quietly defined her work from the beginning: resilience, connection, and the complicated, often unspoken dynamics of life in a small coastal community.

Joy CristIsland Free Press

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Storm Season

A beautiful romance set against the magical beauty of Hatteras Island. Jan masterfully weaves a tale of a tumultuous lost love that sweeps readers out to a breathtaking sea.

Donna HayesProducer, WGHP-TV, Greensboro-High Point

The perfect beach read! I took Storm Season on my week-long beach trip only to find myself zipping through all of it in two days – I couldn’t put it down! The perfect page-turner for any bookworm with a passion for love stories and the Carolina coast!

Jeremy SpearmanProducer, WRAL-TV, Raleigh

A book needs three things to become a best-seller at Downtown Books: An Outer Banks setting, characters you’d love to spend a day on the beach with and a tale that keeps you in your beach chair from start to finish. Storm Season is all this and more! Set on Hatteras, Jan Dawson tells the story of three generations of women, a family-owned hotel, a hurricane and the man from the past who arrives with it and turns everyone’s lives upside down. Jan is definitely a new OBX author to watch!

Jamie AndersonOwner, Downtown Books, Manteo, NC and Duck’s Cottage Books, Duck, NC

Storm Season is a fun “second chance at love” romance! I devoured it in one sitting. Jan evokes the feel of Hatteras Island life, past and present, and delivers a happy but entirely realistic ending. An impressive debut!

Susan SawinOwner, Island Bookstores, Duck and Corolla, NC

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Hooked on You

Hooked on You is a charming beach romance you won’t want to put down. So many familiar places on Hatteras Island are mentioned that make you feel as if you were there with the characters. Where will Jenni’s heart take her? Only she knows!

Diana BaxterAuthor, Ethereal Wing Books

Charming, relatable, and undeniably sweet, Hooked on You is one of those books you won’t want to put down from the second you pick it up. With authentic characters, palpable chemistry and heartfelt themes, this book reminded me why I fell in love with the coast, and how it never fails to help you heal.

Danielle PuleoStaff Writer for the Coastland Times

Jan Dawson captures the soul of Hatteras Island from the very first crossing over Oregon Inlet, but even readers who aren’t immediately familiar with the Outer Banks will be sucked in her beautifully crafted world of characters. This is especially true when it comes to the richly-drawn protagonist Jenni, who has all the complicated layers of hang-ups, fears, and trepidatious hope that every woman knows and understands. It is a breezy beach read with a lot of depth that will make readers hooked on Hatteras Island, and hooked on Dawson’s talent for creating an authentic description of coastal life.

Joy CristEditor, Island Free Press

I really enjoyed reading a story that included the Outer Banks. The author’s attention to detail on fishing was impressive, and she captured the feeling of life on the island. I’m looking forward to reading her next book!

Lori HayesBestselling, Award-winning Author

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Tangled Lines

Tangled Lines is a heartfelt, small-town romance about Jo, a young marine biologist who leaves home to chase her dreams—only to realize that what she truly needs might be the life and love she left behind. The relationship between Jo and Dare feels real, and the way their story unfolds is gentle and heartfelt. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Hatteras Island and contrasting Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Tangled Lines blends warmth, self-discovery, and second chances into a cozy, satisfying read perfect for the beach!

Chloe RoyDowntown Books, Manteo

Tangled Lines is a charming, page-turning escape. It swept me back to my twenties — that exhilarating, uncertain stage of life when you’re building a career, discovering who you are, and stumbling into love when you least expect it. The story captures the tug-of-war between ambition and desire, when a professional opportunity points you one way but your heart pulls you in another. I loved watching Jo and Dare navigate those crossroads — finding their footing both in their work and in their relationship — and proving that sometimes the path you thought was the only answer isn’t the one you’re meant to follow.

Dr. Emily WalkerSam and Em Podcast

This coastal story captures Jo’s summer of self-discovery. Jo begins an internship she once believed was the perfect career path, only to find herself navigating challenges that will test her resilience and reshape her perspective about relationships and values. It is a heartwarming, engaging book that is an ideal choice for beach reading!

Cindy BilbaoBeachcombing Magazine

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Building a Little Love

Storm Season

Hooked on You

Tangled Lines

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